Agenda item

Report of the Cabinet Member for Safety and Communities

The Cabinet Member for Safety and Communities began her introduction by saying that the Gambling Act 2005 requires every council to produce, consult on and publish a Statement of Principles to regulate all forms of gambling in the UK, namely gaming, betting and participation in a lottery, and to set out a number of licensing objectives by which the council is bound when discharging any of its functions under the act. These objectives, which are promoted through cooperation and partnership with responsible authorities, local businesses and residents, are:

-       to prevent gambling from being a source of crime or disorder, being associated with crime or disorder, or being used to support crime;

-       to ensure that gambling is conducted in a fair and open way; and

-       to protect children and other vulnerable persons from being harmed or exploited by gambling.

She said the act also requires the statement of principles to be kept under review and re-published at least once every three years.  It is proposed that the existing statement of principles, published in 2022, is re-adopted as there have been no substantial changes to legislation or national guidance since that time.  However, central government is currently consulting on a white paper entitled ‘High Stakes – Gambling Reform for the Digital Age’, and the statement of principles will be reviewed again when this is published later in 2025.

A Member welcomed the report but asked if there was any provision for the needs of children in the care of someone with a gambling addiction, which could be eclipsed by that person’s reliance or dependence on gambling, impacting on them financially or having a negative effect on their quality of life.   

The Cabinet Member for Safety and Communities confirmed that in September 2024, the GCC public health team met with the county working group to share common standards and draft an area profile for each local authority area to better understand the local picture for gambling-related harm in each district.   She undertook to address this issue in the policy once the updated guidance is received.

The Mayor commented on how frustrating it is that the council does not seem able to control the growth and proliferation of gaming and betting shops in the town, following a lost appeal for a new gaming shop on the high street.  It is hoped that the government review may encompass a review of the criteria local authorities have to consider for future applications.  The Cabinet Member for Safety and Communities said that over the last couple of months she has looked to explore with officers what scope there is for the council to have more control over the concentration and numbers of betting and gaming shops in town.  This is currently addressed as a planning issue rather than a licensing one, and she looked forward to working on the issue in the future.   

RESOLVED THAT:

1. the current Gambling Act 2005 Statement of Principles, attached at Appendix 3, is re-adopted for a further three-year period.